But before getting there, we made a short stop at Chalk Lake, a small body of water surrounded by rugged cliffs.
I know it looks small in this photo, have no idea why :)
Looking around, we saw only bare rock and just a little greenery. Not uncommon for Colorado, actually.
See… the lake isn’t small at all! And it was full of people -
fishing, strolling around, or simply sitting on the shore and admiring
the view.
We had a quick snack by the lake and soon were back on the road.
In Salida, we first walked to the river to see the popular spot
known as Scout River Surf Wave. Honestly, we didn’t expect to see so
many people waiting their turn to catch that wave. :)
Yes, they waited in line, and most of them ended up in the cold
water just seconds after trying to ride it… though some of them made it,
of course.
Kayaking is extremely popular in Salida, so it wasn’t surprising to
see a small forest of kayaks leaning against a wall of an old building.
The Arkansas, Colorado, post office opened on June 16, 1880, but
was renamed Salida on March 28, 1881. Salida, meaning "exit" in Spanish,
was named on account of its location near the point where the Arkansas
River flows out of the valley and into Bighorn Sheep Canyon, upstream
from the Royal Gorge. The Town of Salida was incorporated on March 23,
1891.
There is a lot of history here. I bet every old building could tell a story or two. :)
We made a loop and returned back to the park but now moved in a
different direction. Under the bridge and back to downtown. Where we saw
the musicians getting ready for an evening gig and a well weathered old
bus :)
The Denver & Rio Grande Railroad built their 3-foot
narrow-gauge railroad up from Texas Creek and built a station at Salida,
known at the time as "South Arkansas" in 1880 bypassing the nearby
community of Cleora. Rather than risk their settlement withering away
from lack of rail service, it is said that the population of Cleora
moved to Salida en masse. That same year, the railroad continued from
"South Arkansas," following up the Arkansas river, connecting with the
rich silver mines of Leadville. Later that year, the Rio Grande
connected South Arkansas to Poncha Junction. This small start would
connect via Marshall Pass with the western slope and Salt Lake City,
Utah, turning the newly re-christened Salida into an important junction
in the early history of Colorado. In 1890, the railroad laid an
additional third rail through Salida, but only on the line towards
Tennessee Pass. As a result, Salida became known as a tourist and
railroad enthusiast mecca into the mid-20th century.
The Salida Downtown Historic District was added to the National
Register of Historic Places in 1984. On March 30, 2012, downtown Salida
was named one of two inaugural Certified Creative Districts in Colorado.
Salida is also home to the Shavano Chapter of the Columbine Poets of
Colorado, which is affiliated with the National Federation of State
Poetry Societies (NFSPS). The group organizes workshops and festivals
and offers poetry contests for both adults and students. On March 30,
2012, Colorado by Colorado Creative Industries, a division of the
State's Office of Economic Development and International Trade,
announced that the City of Salida's historic downtown was selected as
one of only two inaugural “Certified Creative Districts” in Colorado.
I guess we’ve had enough Wiki for one story, so let’s take a quick
glance at the streets of Salida before heading to our Airbnb for the
night.
The sunset was beautiful again. The colors were unbelievably bright and soothing…
And look at this room! Spacious and full of light - and the view from the window? Mountain peaks glowing at sunrise!
The best part about this place is that they don’t have a TV. Instead, the hosts hung two bird feeders outside the window, providing nonstop entertainment that beats any TV show.
So we cooked dinner and spent the evening sitting in the living
room, chatting with our hosts and admiring the fast-flying army of
hummingbirds. :)
To be continued...
Photos taken on August 31, 2025.
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